It’s easy…just hire a top-of-the-line professional to do it for you! Of course, that’s not always an option, so if you have to paint it yourself, follow these simple steps:

1. Prep, Prep, Prep!

This is the most crucial part of the job, which people often rush through, setting a poor foundation for the paint. Scrape off all loose, failing paint. Ease all edges with 60-grit, (very course) sand paper. Sand all sunburned, grey wood down to good wood; paint won’t stick to dried-out wood. Painting in Boulder, Colorado is an especially big problem here where we get 300 days of sunshine a year. Chances are, if you live in Boulder, you have some sunburned wood on your house. The more you remove, the longer the paint job will last. Mask and drop off all areas not to be painted. Power-wash all surfaces after caulking, spackling and priming. People often do this before, which is unwise because you’ve created plenty of dust from sanding that needs to be cleared away. Plus, you’ve now caulked and spackled all of the holes through which moisture can leak into your house so you don’t have to worry about that. If you don’t want to power-wash your entire house, just rinse it off with a hose. In most cases this is enough and, in fact, power-washing by someone who is not properly trained can cause much damage to your house.